The number of names that have been attached to this church and settlement are
very confusing. In March 1790, the western part of Coxsackie was taken off and
formed into a town by the name of Freehold. The marriage records seem to
indicate that the particular settlement in the town of Freehold, was first
called Lottania, though the Rev. Beriah Hotchkiss spoke of himself as
"minister of the gospel in Freehold." On April 18, 1794, the church
adopted the name of Congregational Church of Greenfield; and on that day called
the Rev. Beriah Hotchkiss. In the year 1796, the immediate locality where the
church stood went by the name of Newry. This name was retained for about four
years and on March 3, 1800, it was resolved to readopt the name of Greenfield
for the Society. The town of Greenfield was formed from Coxsackie and Freehold
on March 20, 1803. On April 6, 1808, the name of the town was changed back again
to Freehold, and on March 17, 1809, the final change was made to Greenville. The
name of the Society was changed to Greenville about the same time. On Aug 16,
1814 the Society incorporated under the name of the "Trustees for the
Greenville Religious Society." When the Society became Presbyterian, in
1824, the name was changed to the "Greenville Presbyterian Society."
On October 3, 1826, a new incorporation was affected with the name: "The
Trustees of the Presbyterian Society of Greenville."

The first church edifice was erected in 1793, a little southwest of the
present site. It was never completed. About 1800, it was bought by Benoni Austen
and moved to where the Episcopal Church now stands. It became a dwelling,
afterward a tavern, and then a students dormitory. On November 12, 1799, it was
voted to build a new meeting house. It was raised August 27, 1800; it stood near
the present site. "This edifice had a lofty spire, a spacious gallery,
unpainted box pews, and an octagonal pulpit supported by a lofty column. The
builder was Elon Norton. The site was the gift of Augustine Prevost. It was
dedicated September 8, 1801." At a society meeting held on September 19,
1803, it was voted that the pew ground be sold for the purpose of finishing the
meeting house. The sale was to commence on October 3rd. Thomas George
was appointed contractor to finish the church; and Daniel Miller and Francis
Hickok, a building committee. In 1845 changes were made in this church edifice.
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees held March 20th, 1844, at which
James Stevens was chosen moderator, it was voted to enlarge and remodel the
house of worship; and raise two thousand dollars for the purpose. The building
was increased in width, the tall spire was taken down and a dome substituted.
The square box pews which occupied the body of the church, the south and
northwest corners, and a portion of the galleries, and in which a part of the
congregation sat with their backs to the preacher, were removed and replaced by
the steps of more modern times. The galleries which had extended along three
sides of the building were also removed from the two sides, and the quaint
pulpit taken away. The removal of the galleries on the sides made it possible to
substitute long windows in place of small ones, which had been one above the
other. The rebuilt church edifice was burned to the ground, shortly after
midnight early Sabbath morning, January 9th, 1859. In 1860, the
present church was erected on the same site.